I Feel Your Stress
by Forever-Heartless
Summary: Reformatted. Chapter 6 finally up. ZukoXOC
1. Default Chapter

Chapter 1

"_Ellen, could you help me please?" _

"_Sure, mother." Ellen walked out of the tent and followed her mother down to the ocean to carry water back to the village. _

_She looked at her reflection in the water. She had bright blue eyes and brown hair that was almost half way down her back. She smiled and pick up one of the big jars of water. The had just got back and noticed that one of the villagers had a panicked look on their face. Ellen looked back out toward the ocean. There was a big ship heading this way. "The Fire Nation!"_

_The ship quickly came to land and a small army got off, lead by one individual who had a scar on him face. He approached the scared group of villagers, "Which one of you is the waterbender?" No one responded. _

"_I was told that the waterbender here knows the Avatar. Now, which on of you is the waterbender?" He was starting to get mad, "Fine. If that's the way you want it, I will just destroy all of you!" He prepared to attack. Ellen stepped forward and sent a wave of water over all of the firebenders. "So it's you. You're the waterbender." _

"_I am. But I do not know the Avatar. You must have me confused with someone else." said Ellen. _

"_Quiet! Now, you're coming with us." he ordered. Ellen stared at him, "No." _

_One of the other firebenders moved forward, "You will do as Prince Zuko orders!" "I'm not going anywhere!" Ellen shouted._

_Prince Zuko signaled his army and they moved forward, ganging up on her. They started punching and kicking her and there was nothing she could do to stop them. She tried her hardest to fight back but there was too many of them. The army moved back and she fell to the ground. Prince Zuko approached her. He grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her toward the war ship. _

_Ellen struggled, "LEAVE ME ALONE! LET GO OF ME!" Once they were on the ship he threw her below deck and locked her in a small room. She pounded on the door, "LET ME OUT! I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE AVATAR! LET ME GO!"_

Ellen shook her head to rid herself of that memory. The door flew open and there stood Prince Zuko, with a very angry look on his face. '_He must be mad because I tried to flood the ship.'_ She thought. Zuko opened his mouth to say something but before anything came out, Ellen spoke, "Look, sir, I know you're mad at me for trying to flood the ship…And I'm really sorry. But, you forced me out of my home. You should have known that I would try to get revenge. I don't know anything about the Avatar or where he is. If I did I would have told you by now."

Zuko stood there and stared at her. Without saying a word he turned around and walked back out the door, slamming it shut behind him.

Ellen laid on the floor and curled up. She was tired of being cooped up in the small room. She had been trapped in there for two weeks and was rarely let out on deck. She sighed and tried to go to sleep. Even though she didn't do too much she was exhausted. She hadn't gotten proper sleep since she had been aboard the ship. She didn't really like to sleep. She would always dream about her family and she would miss them all the more. A tear ran down her cheek. She missed them so much. She couldn't stop thinking about them and she ended up crying herself into a peaceful slumber.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Ellen took a deep breath. It felt wonderful to be outside. As she stood and enjoyed the breeze she overheard one of the guards, "….We're running out of food and supplies…"

She turned and looked over her shoulder. She walked over to the rail and leaned over. She held out her hand and slowly raised it. A ball over water slowly came up.

"She's waterbending again!" yelled a guard as he rushed over.

Ellen was startled and her concentration was broken. "You know I was trying to catch you guys dinner." Ellen said trying again.

She brought the water onto the deck and released it. It feel to the ground with a splash and a fish was flopping around. Prince Zuko stepped out onto the deck. He raised an eyebrow when he saw all the guards gathered around Ellen, who was leaning over the side.

He walk over to one of his guards, "What is going on over here?"

"Your prisoner is catching us fish." the guard replied.

He pushed his way thru the mass of guards. When he got to the front he saw a huge bin with at least 50 fish in it. He turned and pushed back through the crowd. He walked into is room and sat at his desk. A few minutes later his uncle came in, holding a piece of paper.

"Prince Zuko, I have a letter here from your father." said his uncle, Iroh.

"And?" the Prince said impatiently.

"Well, he thinks about time that you…" Iroh trailed off.

"That I what?" Zuko asked tapping a finger on the desk.

"He says you have to get married." Iroh covered his ears and waited for Zuko to explode. Zuko froze, "I have to what!" "Get married." his uncle said.

"And who does he think I'm going to marry?" Zuko stood up and paced angrily around the room.

"Well, there's always your prisoner." Iroh informed him. Prince Zuko stood and rubbed his temples. '_I guess I really don't have much of a choice.' _he thought.

"Bring me the girl." he ordered. '_I don't see why I need to get married. Like it really matters to father anyway.'_ He sat down at the desk again. A moment later Iroh came through the door with Ellen.

Zuko stood, placing his hands flat on the desk. "For some incredibly strange reason or another," he said, staring at Ellen, "my father is making me get married. And since you're the only female around at the moment, you're going to be my bride."

Ellen's eyes grew big from shock, "I have to marry you?"

"Yeah, you do." Zuko answered, not sounding happy at all.

"But…" Ellen couldn't think of anything else to say. She didn't want to get married. Especially not to Prince Zuko.

There was silence. "Uncle, tell father I have chosen a bride." Prince Zuko said as he walked out of the room. Iroh walked over and stood by Ellen, "You know, he's not really as bad as he seems….Sometimes."

Ellen ran her hands threw her hair and sighed. "Look on the bright side, uh…." Iroh couldn't think of a bright side, "You'll get to sleep in a bed now."

Ellen jerked her head up, "I have to share a bed with him now?"

"Well, you'll have to eventually," said Iroh, "So why not start now? Besides, I'm sure you hate being cooped up in that small room below deck right?"

"Well, yes, but-"

"Sharing a bed with him shouldn't be too bad." said Iroh picking up a cup of tea and handing it to her. She muttered something under her breath.

She took a sip of her tea and asked, "So, when is the forceful wedding going to be?"

"Soon, I'm sure." replied Iroh. "Hooray," said Ellen sarcastically, "I can't wait."

There was silence. "So," Iroh took a sip of tea, "Tell me about yourself."

"Well, I'm 15. I lived with my mom and my brother. My father left us when I was very young. I haven't seen him since." Ellen looked down at the floor.

"Any hobbies?" Iroh asked.

"I like to paint. And write. I read when I have spare time. I also practice my waterbending a lot." Ellen ran her finger around the rim of the cup.

**The North Pole**

"Well, here we are, the North Pole." Aang said as he slid off the flying bison.

"Let's go find the waterbender." said Katara following close behind him. Sokka shuffled along behind them. Aang stopped and looked around.

"Let's ask her where we can find the waterbender." he said pointing to a middle aged woman, who was carrying a large basket. He ran up to her, "Excuse me, do you know where we can find the waterbender?"

The woman dropped the basket as she began to cry, "She's gone…The…Fire Nation took her away…They thought she knew something about the Avatar and they took her…"

"That's horrible." said Katara.

"When did that happen?" asked Aang. "About two weeks ago." the woman said.

"Aang, we flew over their warship on the way here." said Katara.

Aang looked at the ground for a moment. Then he looked up at the woman, "Don't worry, we'll rescue her. We'll bring her back safe and sound, I promise."

"Oh, thank you. Thank you so much." the woman said with a smile.

"Come on, there's no time to lose." said Katara running back to the bison.

**The Fire Nation Warship**

Ellen laid on her back on the deck and stared into the nigh sky.

"What are you doing?" she heard someone ask. She tilted her head back to see Zuko staring down at her with a scowl on his face.

"I'm looking at the stars, and I'm thinking." She said turning her attention to the sky once again. Zuko glanced up, then looked back down at Ellen.

"What is so great about the sky?" Zuko asked, folding his arms across his chest. Ellen shrugged.

"And exactly what are you thinking about?" Zuko began to tap his foot.

"I'm thinking about what it will be like to be married to someone like you." she answered looking back up at him.

"Someone like me? What is that supposed to mean?" he sounded angry.

"Well," Ellen said standing up and straightening her dress, "you're mean, bossy, and you only care about yourself. Maybe that's just an act to push everyone away from you," she watched the scowl on his face slide away, "but that's not really the kind of person I want to marry."

Zuko said nothing. He just stood there with a blank look on his face. "I'm going to bed." Ellen said pushing past him.

Zuko stood glued to the spot. He looked up at the stars, '_Just an act…'_ He thought. He then looked down at the ground. A breeze came and blew his hair into his face. He shut his eyes for a moment and inhaled deeply.

"You know, she may be on to something." Zuko whirled around to see his uncle. "Actually, I think she's right. You are putting on an act to keep people away." Iroh walked forward an patted his nephew on the shoulder.

He walked to the side of the ship and put his hands on the rail, "The question is, why? Why put on an act? Fear, perhaps?" Iroh turned and smile at Zuko. He left the rail and headed inside, stopping in the door way and glancing back at him. Zuko stood where he was for a second, then headed toward his room.

He quietly closed the door behind him and looked around. He found Ellen sound asleep. She was on top of the covers and was on the very edge of the bed. He approached her and pulled her hair back from her face. She looked so peaceful when she slept. He slid one arm under her legs and the other under her back and pulled her toward the center of the bed a little, so she wouldn't fall off.

He then laid on top of the covers next to her and stared at the ceiling, Ellen's and his uncles words repeating over and over in his head, "_Maybe that's just an act…Why put on an act? Fear, perhaps?…Maybe that's just and act…Fear, perhaps? Just an act…Why put on an act?…Fear…"_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Zuko sat silently at the table, not looking up. He could feel Ellen's and his uncle's eyes on him as they watched him pick at his food. "Is something wrong, Prince Zuko?" his uncle asked.

"I'm not hungry." Zuko replied, keeping his head down.

"It seems like you have something on your mind." said Iroh.

"I'm just not hungry, alright?" Zuko said, looking up with a scowl on his face.

"If you say so." his uncle said.

"I'm going to meditate." he said, getting up and leaving the table.

Ellen watched him walk out and slam the door shut behind him. Ellen and Iroh looked at each other.

"Perhaps we should talk to him." Iroh suggested.

"You go ahead. I don't think he is interested in listening to what I have to say." Ellen told him. Iroh stood up and headed towards the door, taking his breakfast with him.

Zuko sat, with is eyes shut, in front of a table with four candles on it. When he inhaled, the flames would get smaller and when he exhaled the flames grew rather large.

Iroh opened the door, "What's bothering you Prince Zuko?"

"Go away. You're interrupting my meditation." Zuko said, keeping his eyes closed and his attention on his meditation.

"Something is bothering you." Iroh said as he ate.

"Yeah," Zuko said, "You're bothering me. Did you write to father yet?"

"Yes, I did," Iroh said, "I should be getting a reply from him shortly."

"Alright, now leave." Zuko ordered.

"Fine." Iroh said, turning and closing the door behind him.

Out on the deck he stopped by Ellen, "He didn't listen."

Ellen turned and walked toward the room that Iroh just came from. When she entered she found Zuko lying on the floor, staring up at the ceiling. She walked up to him and looked down at him.

"What do you want?" he asked, glaring at her. She shrugged her shoulder, "Nothing really." Zuko stood up and walked to the other side of the room.

"I just thought I would stop in a see what was bothering." Ellen said, smoothing her sky blue dress.

"Nothing is bothering me now leave." Zuko said.

"Did I strike a nerve last night? Did I bring something to the surface that you weren't ready to deal with?" asked Ellen folding her arms in front of her, a grin spreading across her face.

Zuko ran across the room and drew his fist back. Ellen didn't even flinch. Zuko stood with his fist drawn back and a vary angry look on his face.

"If you're going to hit me then do it. I'm not afraid to fight." said Ellen, looking him straight in the eye. He scowled and lowered his fist, "Get out of my sight."

He turned and walked back to the table her was sitting at before. Ellen walked out of the room, back on to the deck with Iroh.

"Well?" asked Iroh.

"I think it went well. He was going to punch me." Ellen answered leaning on the rail.

"I don't know why he always act like that." said Iroh.

"It could be for a number of reasons. It's just an act to hide how he is really feeling. Fear or lonelyness. Maybe something else." Iroh looked at her, "How can you tell?" "I used to be just like him."

**Somewhere over the ocean**

"What would Zuko want with a Waterbender?" asked Katara.

"I don't know," replied Aang, "But we gotta' help her."

"When are we going to stop to find food?" asked Sokka. Aang and Katara stared at him. "What? I'm hungry, alright?" said Sokka slouching.

Aang and Katara looked at each other. "Well, I guess we can make a quick stop. Besides, it's getting dark and Appa could use a rest." said Aang. They headed down toward the first island that came into view.

**Fire Nation warship**

Ellen laid staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep because Zuko couldn't decide how he wanted to lie and would roll over every 3 seconds.

"Don't you ever hold still?" asked Ellen.

"So sorry for disrupting your beauty sleep." he rolling onto his stomach.

"About earlier," Ellen said a moment later, "I didn't mean to make you mad. I'm just trying to help you." He grunted. "You know, you don't have to put on an act around me or your uncle." Ellen said, turning her head toward him. He said nothing.

"You know, I used to act just like you." Ellen said.

"You did?" he asked rolling on his side, still facing away from her.

"Yeah. I was scared to let my true feelings show. I was afraid of what everyone would think if they saw the real me. After a while I stopped caring what people thought of me. I didn't want to pretend I was someone I'm not. Being mean and nasty might just be part of who you are, but I know there's a better side of you, hiding away somewhere." Ellen ran her hand up and down Zuko's arm.

He rolled onto his back and looked at Ellen with a blank look. Ellen slid closer to him and rested her head on his chest. At first he didn't know how he should react. Part of him wanted to shove her of the bed, but another part of him liked being close to her. He had finally met someone who kind of understood him. He closed his eyes and relaxed, thinking of what Ellen said to him.

Zuko woke up the next morning to find himself alone. He got up and got dressed, then went out to look for Ellen. He stepped out on to the deck and found her leaning against the rail, reading something.

When he got close she looked up, "Oh, Zuko, you got a letter from your father. He said to head for the capital and the wedding will be the day after you arrive." She looked back down.

"Well, then it won't be much longer. We're almost there. We should arrive late tomorrow night." Zuko said crossing his arms. He turned to leave, pausing to say something. He could find the words he wanted to say so he continued on his way. Ellen watched him as he left, not blinking or taking her eyes off of him.

"You know, Zuko," He turned and looked at her, "There's usually a reason for they way a person acts. Happy, mad, sad, afraid. It doesn't matter. There's usually a reason." She smiled at him. He gave her a blank look before leaving.

"Whenever you feel like telling me your reason." she said after he was out of earshot.


	4. Chapter 4

_Sorry it took so long to update! I've been really busy. I have been having some problems that have been affecting my will to write. I have also been re-thinking this story and I decided to add a few different things than originally planned. Thank you so much to everyone that has reviewed! And once again, I'm very sorry for taking so long to update._

Chapter 4

Ellen frowned and looked down, "Do I really have to wear this?" Instead of wearing her usual blue dress, she was wearing Fire Nation armor and she had her hair tied up in a tight bun.

"Yes." Zuko answered her flatly. She sighed.

"Be back at the ship in half an hour." Zuko said brushing past her.

She stood for a moment and look at her reflection in the water. She really hated having to wear their armor. She wasn't on their side. And the more she stopped to think about it, the more she really didn't want to have to marry one of them. She turned abruptly and walked toward the village.

She frowned and hung her head as she shuffled through the street. People were glaring at her and she didn't like it. When she moved close to someone they would flinch and move back.

"I'm not from the Fire Nation." she said sadly.

"Of course not!" a woman said sarcastically; with a hint of fear in her voice. The woman backed away franticly. Ellen sighed and walked on.

'_I hate having people scared of me… I can't go through with this marriage.'_ Ellen thought, '_I need to get away from here.'_

She began to walk a little faster. Once she reached the edge of the village she looked around for any Firebenders, then she ducked into the woods. Once she was out of sight she began to run.

She stumbled on rocks and fallen tree branches as she ran. She jerked her head from side to side, looking for a place to hide or any way off the island. Since she wasn't looking where she was going, she caught her foot on a raised tree root and landed face first in a small pile of wet leaves. Her breath caught in her throat when she heard voices heading her way. As quickly and quietly as she could she stood and climbed the tree. She sat on a branch so that she could see who was there, but she made sure she was hidden by the leaves.

"Sokka, I though you said there was a village here." It was a girls voice.

"There's a village on the map." A boy said to her.

Ellen could see them now. The girl and the boy she heard talking were wearing light blue cloths. The cloths that the people of the Water Tribes wear. There was another boy with them. He was a small boy with bright orange and yellow cloths and a blue arrow on his head.

'_The Avatar.'_ Ellen thought.

She slide out on the branch a little farther, then she jumped off it. She landed with a thump in the leaves and all three of them whirled around. The Avatar held his staff out in front of him, ready to fight.

"Wait! I'm not a Firebender! I need you to help me get away from here. Please!" Ellen begged.

"Who are you?" the Avatar asked.

"My name's Ellen. Zuko kidnapped me." she answered. "Aang, that's the girl we've been looking for!" the girl said.

"Come on! This way!" Aang said as he started running in the direction they came from. Ellen and the other two followed close behind him.

"What is that?" Ellen asked when the had reached their destination.

"This is Appa. He's a flying bison." Aang said, "Get on!"

Ellen followed the others and walked up his tail. Once they were all on Aang said, "Hold on!"

Ellen griped the side of the thing they were sitting in tightly. Appa flew high up in the sky.

**The Fire Nation Warship**

Zuko tapped his foot impatiently. It had been almost an hour since Ellen was supposed to be back at the ship.

"Where is she?" he growled. "Zuko, the soldiers have returned.

"There is no sign of her." his uncle said, being sure to keep his distance. Zuko turned abruptly and stomped to his room.

"Turn this ship around! We have to find her!" he shouted at a guard standing near his door. He stepped inside and slammed the door behind him, nearly smashing his hand in it.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

**Fire Nation Warship**

Zuko sat at the table, staring into the dancing flames of the candle. He had a blank expression on his face. The flame bended into two separate figures, taking the forms of himself and Ellen. Zuko watched with a scowl as the figures moved together and danced, tiny Zuko twirled Ellen and brought her in to kiss her. Zuko stood up suddenly, the two tiny figures disappearing just as quickly. He stomped out the door and leaned on the rail of the ship, looking down into the crashing waves.

_He saw Ellen, sitting on a dock, with her feet in the water. He sat down behind her and put his arms around her big stomach. He rested his chin on her shoulder and a smile spread across her face._

Zuko chucked an empty box into the water. He was furious. She had left him and went with the Avatar, he just knew it.

He scowled, '_I'll find the Avatar. And when I find the Avatar, I'll bring her back. Whether she likes it or not.' _

He turned quickly to spot his uncle had appeared on deck. "Uncle, has there been any sign of the Avatar or Ellen?"

Uncle Iroh shook his head sadly, "We've found nothing." Iroh took a step back, afraid Zuko might explode. Zuko only gave a frustrated sigh and turned back to the water below.

**Somewhere out there… Heading toward the North Pole**

"Where are we going?" asked Ellen kindly.

"We're taking you back to the North Pole." Aang told her. Ellen frowned but said nothing.

"Is something wrong?" asked Katara, with a concerned look on her face.

"No, but I appreciate your concern," Ellen said with a warm smile.

The next couple of hours were silent one. Occasionally Ellen would glance at one of the others and would then look back down at the water. Katara sat with her legs drawn up to her chest and rested her chin on her knees. Sokka laid flat on his back with his hands folded on his stomach, sound asleep. Aang would mutter something to either Appa or to Momo the lemur, who was curled up in his lap.

Ellen scooted towards Aang, "So, what's it like to be the Avatar?"

"It's alright. It's pretty cool to be able to bend more then one element, but I would rather be a normal person."

"I would love to be able to bend more than one element. But it's not possible for an average bender to learn more than one element, is it?"

Aang pondered for a moment, "I really don't know… I don't think so. I've never met one. But I guess it could be possible." Ellen smiled.

**Fire Nation Warship**

Iroh stood quietly and watched his nephew as he trained. Iroh was so distracted by Zuko's training he didn't notice the large messenger bird sitting next to him. The bird nudged him and made Iroh jump. He looked down at the bird, noticing that it had a message. He took it and unrolled it. He frowned and walked toward the deck of the ship. Zuko stopped in mid-kick when he saw his uncle approaching.

"It's from your father. He wants to know why you haven't showed up at the Capital." Iroh informed him.

Zuko scowled, "Tell him… The wedding is off. I'm not going to force anyone to marry me. If I get married, it's going to be because I want to, not because my father wants me to."

Zuko walked toward the door leading to the interior of the ship. He yanked the door open and disappeared. Iroh turned and sat down at a small table. He picked up his cup of tea and sipped it. A small smile played across Iroh's lips.


	6. Chapter 6

_It took a while but it's finally done._

Chapter 6

**Closing in on the North Pole**

"Can we rest?" Sokka asked drowsily, "We've been flying for three days straight."

Aang looked back at his companions. Sokka sat with his arms woven in front of his chest with Momo asleep in his lap. Katara and Ellen were sleeping soundly, snuggled into their parkas to protect themselves from the chilly wind. Aang faced forward once again,

"We've got to be getting close." He squinted and scanned the horizon; all he could see were icebergs.

A pillar of ice shot up from below. Aang steered Appa sharply to the right, causing his friends to nearly tumble in to the icy water below. Now wide-awake everyone held on tight as Appa swerved to avoid the ice rocketing up at them. A tower of ice caught Appa's hide foot and sent his spiraling down in to the ocean. Before Appa could recover and take to the skies again he was frozen to the spot and surrounded by a small fleet of ships.

"They're waterbenders!" Katara shouted with excitement, "We've found the Northern Water Tribe."

They came to a halt in front of a tall ice wall with the water symbol carved into it. There were several waterbenders standing on it and with one smooth motion, a section of the wall slide down. Aang steered Appa down the waterway until they came to another wall. With some help from the benders, the water began to rise and they could continue down the path. They looked around in amazement. The waterways were like roads with tall ice buildings on both sides of it. Aang and his friends waved at the people on the sidewalks below and the bridges overhead. As they rounded to corner they met another boat. On the boat sat a young woman with long white hair and bright blue eyes. Sokka slide down Appa's tail and gawked at her.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Katara asked, continuing to gaze at the buildings.

"Yeah…She is." Sokka said, still staring at the girl they passed.

**Prince Zuko's ship during music night**

Zuko laid on his bed, his arms crossed on his chest and scowled at the ceiling. There was a light tap on the door and someone entered.

"I'm not going to play the sungi horn." Zuko stated, not even looking at the door.

"There has been a change in plans, Prince Zuko." It was Iroh. Zuko sat and look at him with a puzzled expression. Iroh was aside by another man.

"Zhao." Zuko sneered. "I'm taking your crew. I have recruited them for a little expedition." Zhao said, smirking as he walked across the room.

"It's true. He's taking everyone. Even the cook!" Iroh pouted.

Zhao took hold of a sword on the wall and looked it over closely. He recognized that sword. It was the same sword that the Blue Spirit used. Zhao once had the Avatar in his grasp. But the Blue Spirit broke into the fort and set him free. Now Zhao knew who was responsible and could get his revenge.

He smirked, "I didn't know you were skilled with swords, Prince Zuko."

"I'm not. They're antiques." Zuko replied.

Zhao turned and waved the sword, "Have you heard of the Blue Spirit, General Iroh."

"I have heard of him but I don't think he is real." Iroh said calmly.

"Oh, he's real alright." Zhao held out the sword to Iroh, "And he's an enemy of the Fire Nation." Zhao moved to the door, "But I have a feeling justice will catch up with him soon enough. The offer to join my mission still stands if you change your mind." Zhao slammed the iron door behind him.

**The Northern Water Tribe**

"May the great spirits of the ocean and moon watch over us during these troubled times." said Princess Yue, after he father announced that she had turned 16 years old and was of marrying age. As some waterbenders began putting on a show, she walked over and sat next to Sokka.

He leaned closer to her, "So, you're a princess. You know, I'm kina like a prince in my tribe." "Whatever!" Katara interjected.

Sokka scowled, "Do you mind? I'm trying to have a conversation." "My apologizes, Prince Sokka," Katara bowed.

Aang approached an older man with long white hair. Though he looked to be very old his waterbending performance proved that he was still in excellent shape. "Are you Master Pakku?" Aang asked politely.

"I am." he responded.

"I'm Aang, your new student. My friends and I can't wait to get started."

"How many _friends_ will you be bringing?" Master Pakku asked.

"Only two." replied. Pakku scowled slightly, "Very well. I shall see the three of you at sunrise." Aang bowed gratefully.

**Fire Nation Harbor**

Zhao sat at the table smirking and stared across at his guests. "Gentlemen," Zhao finally started, "I've heard some very terrible things about you and I must say… I'm impressed. You men are all highly qualified for the mission I have in mind. If you're up for it that is."

He slid a small chest across the table. The captain of the pirates pulled it closer and opened it, finding it to be filled with gold coins. One of the other men took one of the coins and began to chew on it. The captain snatched it and threw it back in the chest.

"What exactly to you have in mind?" he asked, leaning on the table. His pet reptilian parrot squawked at Zhao.

Zhao chuckled and smirked, "I'm sure you are familiar with Prince Zuko."


End file.
